Filter



Au .1s,1942. F.'A. DE LISLE 2,293,12

FILTER Filed March 13, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY 1% AT'iORNEYS F. A. DE LISLE FILTER Filed March 15) 1939 'T Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENT OR.

ATTORNEYS WW?! Je ,,H M,-

Aug 18, 1942.

F. A. DE LISLE FILTER I File'd March 13, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. v f /f -24 ATTORNEYS Aug. 18, 1942.

F. A. DE LISLE.

FILTER Filed March 15. 1939 7 Sheets-heej; 4

INVENTQR.

194(2- F. A. DE LISLE 2,293,120

' FILTER Filed March 15, 1959 '1 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 18 1942. F. A. DE LISLE 2,293,120

' FILTER w Filed March 15,1939 TSheets-Sheet '1 7' j ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 18, 1942 S U JUL 25 1944 2,293,120 Fm'rmt Fran is A. De Lisle, Chaplin, Conn, assignor to George B. Finnegan, .m, trustee, Mountain Lakes. N. J.

Application March is, 1939, Serial No. 261,425 I 12 Claims.

combinations pointed out in the appended clai'ms.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly'diagrammatic of a filter press embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse horizontal section of three units of the filter press showing the plates and filter media in position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of gasket frame with parts broken away to show the cross-sectional construction;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of amodified form of gasket;

Fig. 5 is a vertical front elevation of a unit of the filter press with part of the filter medium broken to show the face of a plate grid;

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on line 6-6 of Fi 5;

Fig. '7 shows in elevation two grid-forming strips in disassembled and assembled positions;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a filter cloth rack with filter cloth thereon partly inverted for removal;

Fig. 9 is a transverse lateral section of a unit of the filter press showing means for removing a loaded sleeve;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an integral filter cake on a drying tray. 1

A primary object of the invention is to provide a novel method and means for increasing the scope, speed, efiiciency and economy of the operating cycle in the filtering system. The invention is applicable to the type of filtration commonlyperformed in filter presses, wherein the fluid to be filtered is forced through "filtering media arranged in a battery, the retained solids forming as cake on the media while the filtered fluid or filtrate is discharged from the filter press. One object of the invention is to avoid the delay, expense and material 1055 now caused by separately and sequentially cleaning the filter cake from each separate filter medium or cloth and the adjoining plates during the opening or unloading of the filter press. By the' invention, all the filter media and the cake or solid material restrained thereby may be removed immediately from-the filter press and bodily transported to a remote point for separation of the cake and cleaning of the cloth. In the meantime the filter press may be as quickly supplied with fresh filter media and reformed and put into operation with a minimum of delay and interruption of the filtering operation. This feature of the invention saves a great amount of time, increases the cleanliness and efiiciency of the filter press loading and unloading operations, avoids wear and destruction of the cloth and also permits the discharge of the cake and the cleaning of the cloth to be handled in an entirely separate department where the most efiicient cleaning and discharging methods and means may be employed. In connection with the discharging of the filter cake and the cleaning of the cloth or other filter media, the invention provides certain novel steps and operations.

tively separated from its adherent filter cake and ,cleansed for reuse in the filter press in a rapid and highly effective manner. This entails as one object of the invention the construction of filter cloth in a novel form specially designed to 4 permit bodily removal from the press and subjection to a novel form of cake removal, washing and drying. If pre-wetting of the cloth is, desired, the invention also facilitates that operation. These latter steps are preferably performed ,by means which enable the charged filter cloth to be successively brushed or scraped, then washed or sluiced with a washing fluid and then quickly dried, all without separate handling of the cloth. Preferably the filter cloth is mounted on a rotary 55 device which permits their operations to .be

The filter cloth is most effeccarried out at successively increasing rotational speeds and whereby centrifugal action is utilized as one of the active forces. For carrying out these steps, the invention provides a novel shape and form of filter cloth and a novel supporting frame therefor and also provides a novel mechanism for cooperating therewith during the brushing, washing and drying steps.

One form of the invention is further directed to providing for the bodily removal of filter cake from the press and separation thereof bodily from the filter cloth as an integral cake retaining the shape and consistency it acquired in the press. This feature of theinvention enables the cake to be dried, baked or otherwise handled as required in various arts, all without breakage, crumbling or separate handling or reshaping.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved'filtering action in the filter press itself by increasing the efliciency and effectiveness of flow of the fluid through the press. Thereby increased capacity and improved filtering action are realized. This aspect of the invention entails a novel form of filter press plate, having a novel grid arrangement which permits the use of large and eiiiciently located fluid ports to reduce the danger of fiow blockage. Such grid also induces high flowage capacity by providing a novel and effective filtrate discharge and thereby conduces to the rapidity and completeness of the filtering action. The construction of the filter plate of my invention is such that flowage of the fluid thereinto and therethrough is induced to take place in the most natural directions so that clogging and blinding of the plate and cloth are overcome and a large capacity attained. Due also to the novel construction of the plate the drainage grids thereof may be varied as to their capacity and flow-inducing qualities to permit the same filter press mechanism to handle a very wide range of different fluids, both liquid and gaseous. Moreover the novel grid construction of my filter plate makesfor an exceedingly simple, sturdy, compact and inexpensive device which is easily cleanable, readily replaceable in whole or in part and is unaffected by whatsoever chemicals may be used in the filtering operation.

The invention further provides numerous minor but important improvements in the mechanical construction'of the filter press which conduce to greater efiiciency in sealing against leakage and preventing wear or destruction of the cloth and other elements of the mechanism while at the same time improving the speed and simplicity of all the operations. By virtue of the improved sealing means the invention also permits the use of higher pressures in the filter press.

Referring now broadly to the improvedmethod and means for permitting bodily removal of the filter media and cake and separation and cleanretains all the cake within it. When the filtering of a predetermined batch of raw liquor has been completed, the press is opened and all the individual sleeves with their interior supporting racks are bodily lifted from the press and carried to a remote point for cleaning Then the individual sleeves may be readily removed from their supporting racks by peeling them and their adherent cake inside out 05 the rack frames The conical sleeve with the filter cake now on its outer surface is then placed over a truncated, conical, perforate form on the rotary spindle of a device similar in general construction to a centrifugal machine having a stationary external casing. The sleeve is then rotated in successive three stages, the first very slowly to permit brushing or scraping of all the adherent cake; then washing fluid is forced outwardly from the interior of the spindle and form to cleanse the sleeve of all adherent cake particles, this preferably being done at a higher rotary speed to utilize a measure of centrifugal force. Then as a third step, the sleeve on the spindle is rotated at a relatively very high speed to dry it centrifually.

In one modified form of the invention, special means are provided for catching and drying all particles of cake which may be dislodged from the cloth during the washing and/or drying operations. This is particularly important when the filter cake is the valuable ingredient, as in the drug and dye industries, for example.

The present preferred form of filtering plate, comprises, as stated above, a grid made up of alternately arranged vertical strips of rigid material. Said parallel strips are shaped with one edge vertical and the other inclined so as to form a composite vertical face on either side of the plate with flowage or drainage spaces or channels between the alternate strips. Said drainage channels increase in depth or capacity from substantially nothing at the top of the grid to a discharge space substantially equal to the thickness of the entire grid at the bottom. This arrangement permits the liquor to fiow very rapidly to discharge without danger of clogging or impedance, while providing a very strong, rigid ing thereof at a point remote from the press, til 67' filter cloth or other media is preferably formed over and held in the filter press by a supporting 5 frame or-rack which is likewisetapered to conform to the sleeve. The tapered rack and sleeve are mounted in the press between the faces of the two filter plates and suitable ports are provided in the rack whereby the liquor to be filtered is 7 caused to flow into the in 'rior of the sleeve and outwardly therethrough on o the contiguous faces of the plates and therethrough to discharge in the usual manner. The filter cake will thus form on and simple plate construction which, moreover, can be very readily varied as to the capacity and gradient of its drainage channels by simply substituting a differently tapered set of grid strips. Furthermore, this construction permits the use of strips of Bakelite or other similar rigid natural material or combinations of other materials of low cost and high strength and immunity to chemical attack. v

By virtue of the novel shape and arrangement of the filter cloth sleeves and their supporting frames and due also to the construction of the plates and separate gasket or sealing means, the necessity is avoided for providing feed flowage openings in the filter cloth itself. This also avoids the careful alinement of cloths and frames heretofore necessary in order to provide a continuous channel or conduits commonly formed in filter presses by the juxtaposition of the flowage holes in the cloths and plates. Thus the interruptions of fiow and the blinding or partial obstructions of flowage channels is prevented and wear and tear on filter cloths is diminished. By

3 having separate gaskets using the same filter the interior surface of the tapered sleeve which media material as the sealing means, even compression factors and a balanced pressure may be obtained within the press.

Other novel features of the invention will be pointed out hereafter or will be obvious from the disclosure and context. It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are .exemplary and explanatory of the invention, but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, a filter press adapted to use the invention is conventionally shown in Fig. 1. It will be clear that the invention is designed to accommodate itself to substantially any standard 'fi lter ress (3011-.

struction so far as the supporting framewbrk and the assembling and tightening devices are concerned. As shown the plate holding frames I are supported by any suitable means upon parallelside bars 2, said bars in turn being attached at one end to the filter press head 3 and at the opposite end to a conventional screw standard 9. The head is supported by head legs 5 and the screw standard by screw standardlegs 6. A screw actuator follower is connected with the screw shaft 8 and is designed to be forced against assembled plates of the press by rotation of the screw through the ratchet gear wheel 9.' It

will be understood that the above described construction is largely conventional and of itself constitutes no necessary part 'of the invention which is adapted to cooperate with substantially standard or known type of filter press.

Referring to Fig. 2, the plates which constitute the major working units of the mechanism in forming the assembled press comprise an external rectangular'frame I of wood or other suitable material or combinations of materials. Said frames I are adapted tobe forced toward each other by the screw or hydraulic pressure ofthe filter press whereby the vertical edges I5 and the horizontal edges I6 (Fig. 5) are adapted to be parallel and contiguous to the corresponding edges of the adjoining plate. For sealing the contiguous edges of the frames against the into'further seal against pressure of liquid within the press. I

' 'The portion of the plate frame- I which supports and contains the filter plate proper comprises a'rectangular portion of reduced-crosssection. The vertical face of said section 25 adjacent. the feed side of thepress is relatively wide and is provided with aplurality of ports frame I and when so mounted present a 'cross section equal to that of the frame 25. Said strips 39 and 3| arepreferably formed of Bakelite or similar moulded plastic which is rigid, strong,

inexpensive and substantially immune to chemical corrosion or attack. The flat side faces of the strips 39 and 3| are so mounted in the frame 25 as to be pressed or held closely together and immovable with respect to each other and the frame. If desired a transverse connecting and holding screw or rod may be provided (not shown) to join the strips and the frame together although ordinarily the close fit of the parts will be sufilcient to maintain the desired alinement; Also if desired the strips may be held together and sealed by suitable adhesive such as Bakelite"cement or varnish.

,trate after it has passed through the filter cloth or other filter medium and also to enhance the the grid-like plate is alsoadapted and designed ternal fluid pressure of the press, suitable packing or gasket sealing means are provided, which means of themselves are separate from and form no part of the filter clothor other filter media hereinafter described. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the simplest form of sealing gasket comprises a rectangular frame I8 which is adapted to lie between the abutting edges of two contiguous plate frames I. For this purpose the members of the plate frames are grooved or rabbeted at I9 on the inner portion of the edge I5 whereby the gasket frame I9 occupies the groove formed by the opposed rabbets 9 of two adjoining plate frames I. 'The opposite side faces of the gasket frame I8 are covered with a suitable sealing or packing material 2|! which may conveniently be of the same stuff as is used for .the filter medium. It will be clear that upon applying closing pressure to the plates I'the edges I5 and I6 will be forced together and the ,gaskets Iii-20 will form a tight seal entirely around the contiguous grooves I9 of'the plate frames. Preferably the composite thickness of the gaskets |-8--2|I are slightly greater than the width of the groove flanges 22 overlap the inner corners of the frame The shape and arrangement of the strips 30 and 3| to form the filter plate is such as to provide the maximum freedom of flowage of the filrapidity and efficiency of discharge of the filtrate from the press. The shape and arrangement of to cause even deposition of filter cake on the filter cloth. In filter presses of the present type the tendency of the filter cake is to settle to the bottomand build up vertically so that the largest amount of cake will be found at the bottom of the press and a relativelythin amount thereof near the top. The flow-guiding and inducing qualities of my novel plate construction counteract this tendency and the filter cake forms evenly, uniformly and rapidly on the filter cloth.

With-these ends in view the shape and arrangement of the grip strips 39 and 3| provide flowage channels of increasing depth and capacity from the top of the plate to' the bottom, thereby overcoming the natural clogging effect due to the normal tendency of the filter cake to accumulate more rapidly at the bottom. By reference toFigs. 2, 6 and 7 it willbe seen that the grid strips 39 and 3| are similarly shaped, but op- I facesof two memibers 39 and the inclined edge 34 of the intervening member 3| while similarly the opposite channels 36 are formed by the faces of members 3| and the inclined edges v34 of the members 39.

' scribed in detail.

As will be clear from Figs. 6 and '7 the com- [posite vertical plate faces formed by the spaced "-edges 33 of the strips are adapted to contact closely with the contiguous surfaces of the filter cloths or filter media 40, the construction and arrangement of which will be hereinafter de- The downwardly increasing channels between the strips 30 and 3| thus commence with a minimum depth at the top of the plate or grid and increase downwardly at any desired gradient depending upon the slope of the edges 34 of the strips. In the lower portion of the grid it will be noted that the drainage channels intersect or communicate to form a relatively large tent-shaped drainage space 31 which is of increasing capacity downwardly. A spacing member 38 may be set between the feet of the strips and supported on the upper face of the lower \plate frame member I. Thus the lower portion of the filter plate or grid provides adrainage space of large capacity communicating with all of the drainage channels without constricting or deflecting the direction of drainage from a free downward path. At the same time the vertical edges 33 of the grid plate afford complete protection and support for the filter cloth throughout its height so that there is no tendency for the cloth to be pinched or crowded into the drainage channels at any point. It will be clear that any desired gradient of depth increase for the drainage channels may be provided merely by conformably varying the gradient of the inclined edges 34. Also the relative widths and number of I drainage channels may be varied by strips of different thicknesses.

Any suitable means may be provided for discharging the filtrate from the drainage space 31. As shown a conventional side outlet 39 is provided at the bottom of the grid extending through the lower portion of the outer plate wall I to a suitable drainage petcock or other conventional drainage means, not shown, for discharge into a drainage pan 4| (Fig. 1). If desired a similar drainage outlet -(not shown) may also be pro vided at the opposite side of the frame l, or the filter press may be constructed with any suitable drainage channel communicating and extending the length of the press.

Referring now to the preferred form of the filter cloth or medium 46, same is made in the form of a continuous sleeve of frusto-conical shape having both ends open (Figs. 2, 5, 6 and 8). The dimensions of said sleeve are such that it will lie with its vertical faces in contact with the vertical faces of two adjoining plate grids, the ends of the sleeve preferably projecting slightly beyond the ends of the grids and contacting with the vertical faces of the grid frames 25. For supporting the sleeve 40 in said position, a supporting frame or rack is provided. Said rack comprises a feed-end vertical member 45 and an opposite vertical end member 46. A top rack member 41 and bottom rack member 48 are connected to the ends of the members 45 and 46 to form a rectangular interior outline. However,

said top and bottom members are tapered or in- 40 and thus stretch and maintain same'in the deaacaiao A 41 and 44 are rounded to give a snug lit to the sleeve 40 without presenting any sharp edges thereto which might cut or weaken the cloth.

If desired the raclf may be made demountable so that top and bottom members or wedge bars 41 and 48 of different tapers may be provided to earth, which may be spread on or held betweenthe cloths. While the term cloth is here used as a generic name for a filter medium it will be understood that any other suitable filter media known to the art may be used for this element of the mechanism. For example, in lieu of cloth I may provide parchment, paper or skin, glass cloth, wire mesh, perforated metal or rubber, etc., and/or various combinations of these materials may be used as the filter medium, depending upon the particular process or material to which the filtering operation is applied. This principle may also be applied to the filtration of gases by providing a gas-absorbing medium between layers of cloth or the like.

As shown, the sleeve rack is of such length that its end 46 rests against the corresponding inner end of the main frame I and seated gasket frame l8, while the opposite or feed end 45 of the rack lies against the plate holder frame members 25 but short of the feed ports 26. A plurality of transverse feed ports 49 are formed in the rack member 45, said ports 49 being preferably at the same level as the longitudinal feed ports 26. Thus a feed liquor chamber 50 is provided between the walls 25 and the rack end 45, wherefrom the feed liquor under pressure enters the rack ports 49 and fills the space within the sleeve 40. Thence the feed liquor passes through the filter medium 40 and into the channels 35 and 36 in the plate grids, while the filter cake forms and is-retained upon the interior surfaces of the sleeve.

While the present preferred form thereof is shown the sleeve rack and sleeve may be tapered in the opposite direction by suitable modifications in the cooperating devices in the filter press. Also, if desired, additional liquor flow ports may be formed in the end 46 of the rack.

Means are provided for tightly sealing and holding the assembled rack and sleeve 40 in position against the grid faces of walls 35 and 36, and for assuring tight sealing contact between the sleeve and the margins of the plate when the filter press is closed. For this purpose sealing or breaker strips 55, of Bakelite or like smooth, hard material are designed to be positioned to lie across the top and bottom ends of the grids and similar strips 55a border the vertical ends of the grid construction. The grid strips 30 and 3| are suitably notched at 56 and 51 on the tops and at 58 on their bottoms to receive and support said breaker strips 55 which extend clear across the grids of the plate and extend vertically a suflicient distance to cover the joints between the grid strips and the abutting surfaces of the frame members 25 and to join with the contiguous inner surfaces of the frame members I. Preferably the members 25 are rabbeted for a short distance beyond the ends of the grid section proper to receive the ends of the breaker strips 55 whereby same may screws or other suitable means. Thus the breaker strips provide a seal between the edges of the filtersleeve 40 and the gridframe and members during the filtering operation. The top and bottom strips 55 also serve to hold the vertical grid strips 30 and 3| in place but ready for prompt disassembly.

An improved means and method for so removing the cake-charged sleeves is somewhat diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 9. As shown, the cake-charged sleeve 40 with its interior rack or stretching frame has been exposed on one side by the opening of the press and the withdrawal of the adjoining plate frame I. A sleeve-removing case or pan 60 is pivotally suspended for travel along the side bars 2 of the press by means of laterally extending trunnions 6|. Said pan is thus adapted to be rolled along the side bars and moved to encompass and hold the projecting portion of the loaded sleeve 40. The pan with theloaded sleeve in it may then be withdrawn and if desired tilted to a horizontal position on the side bars (as indicated ,in the right hand portion of the drawings), whence it may be lifted into a suitable truck or other container for transport to the cleaning and drying department. It will be clear that by the use of said unloading pan the charged sleeve and its contents may be removed from the filter press expeditiously and without danger of dropping or spilling its contents, and may be transported as a unit for purposes ofcleaning and drying 7 Referring now to the novel steps and the means provided by the invention for removing the cake. cleaning and drying the sleeves, the general sequence and cycle of operations are diagrammatically shown in Fig. 11. (The charged sleeves, removed from the filter press A as above described, are loaded onto a. truck or other transporting device B and thereby removed to an unloading and sleeve-cleaning station. As the first step in removing cake from the loaded sleeve,

preferably having at least three driving speeds. The form I5 is of a shape and size to fit within the inverted sleeve III which in practice is pulled down tightly over the form. A stationary casing BI is built around the form I5, said casing having a bottom 8| sloping toward one side, the lowest portion. thereof being provided with a drainage hole 82 which communicates with a drainage pipe h 83. The casing is preferably flared upwardly and outwardly to the level of the top of the form I5 and thereabove has an inwardly and upwardly inclined guard lip 84. The spindle I1 is preferably hollow and is journaled about a. vertical pipe 85 which extends upwardly through the center ofv the form I5 and is perforated at 86 above the plate It for the purpose of supplying and spraying washing fluid to the interior of the form.

Means for catching and retaining cake or solid matter removed from the sleeve. 40 while it is on the form 15 comprises an open-bottomed receptacle 90 having substantially vertical or somewhat inwardly inclined side wall and a bottom lip 9i curved inwardly and upwardly to lie flush with' the bottom edge of the form 15. Hangers or hooks 92 are provided for removably holding the receptacle 9!] in the position shown.

The first stage of the operation performed on the above described machine may be defined as a brushing or scraping of the adherent cake from while the cake is dislodged from the surface of the sleeve is turned inside out and peeled toward 4 the small end of the tapered rack as shown in Fig. 8. During this operation, which can be very easily performed by hand because of the taper of the rack, a large part of the adherent cake will be dislodged from the sleeve and may be collected in a pan 10. This dislodged cake may be taken by the truck B or otherwise to a dryer .station C or other disposal station D. In the meantime the inverted sleeves are taken to the machine E where they are brushed, washed and dried. The sleeve racks are carried by the truck B, reassembled with-the dried sleeves and returned via the route B" to alongside the filter at B'", where they are held in reserve for the next unloading of the press. As soon as cakecharged sleeves are removed from. the press and loaded onto truck B,'the press is resupplied with clean, empty sleeves and'racks from a waiting truck 3".

' 'Referring now in detail to the novel method and means provided for brushing, washing and drying the inverted sleeves 40, same comprises a truncated, conical, perforate hollow form 15, the bottom end of which is seated on a solid plate I6 which is rotatably connected to a spindle shaft 11. Rotary movement is imparted thereto from a driven shaft 18 which is provided with a speed varying means conventionally shown at 19 and the sleeve by holding a suitable scraper or brush thereagainst. Ordinarily this may be done manually, but if preferred, a suitable brush or scraper (not shown) may be mounted on the stationary casing and caused to bear against the surface of the sleeve. Th removed solid matter will fall into the receptacle '90 and same may then be lifted out of the casing 80 and the cake conveyed to disposal as above described. In an case the scraping or brushing of the cloth. is performedrapidly and without danger of tearing or stretching the cloth. I

The second stage comprises the washing or flushing out of entrained solid matter from the inverted sleeve 40. For this purpose the form 15 ispreferably but not necessarily rotated at a somewhat higher speed. Simultaneously the washing liquor is forced upwardly through the pipe 85 and sprayed out through th openings 66 and the perforations in he form 15 and into and through the sleeve 40. The force of the spra and the centrifugal action of the rotation combine to give a thorough sluicing and cleansing of the sleeve. In many instances the washing liquor may be the filtrate itself, as same frequently is most efllcacious for washing filter cloth. The filtrate for washing may conveniently be supplied from the discharge of the filter press by a by-pass conduit 95 and a pump 96 communicating with the wash pipe 85. The

. drained wash liquor discharging from th pipe 83 may be pumped back to the feed liquor of the press for reflltering. In many cases, of course,

- some liquid other than the filtrate, such as water,

will be used for the washing operation.

- in, hot air or other gas may be simultaneously forced through the pipe 85. When the sleeve has racks, ready for reuse in the filter press.

It will be understood that the various features of the invention here disclosed when taken and used in their entirety comprise a highly novel and efiicient mechanism and filtering method.

- However, it is not essential that they all be used in conjunction. For example, the mechanism which comprises the parts of the filter press itself may be used with great efiectiveness for small sewage disposal plants, in which case the filter cake will probably not be removed and the sleeves cleaned for reuse. For such purpose the sleeves and their racks may be made of relatively inexpensive material and can be burned or otherwise disposed of without material expense. Likewise it will be found that many of the advantages of the novel construction of filter 'plate' grid may be incorporated very simply into filter presses of the standard plate and frame type without material change except for the substitution of the plate grid construction.

In Fig. 12 is shown a modified centrifugal mechanism for washing and drying the filter cloth, particularly adapted. for cases where the filter cake is of special value and all fragments thereof are to be saved. For this purpose a perforate centrifugal basket I is mounted to surround the form I and rotate therewith. The bottom edge of the basket I00 is seated at the periphery of an annular spider I,0I which extends from below the bottom plate I6 of the form I5. The outer ends of the spider arms are upturned at I02 to receive and retain' the bottom edge of. the basket. Means for tightly gripping the basket against the rim I02 comprises a downwardly tapered annulus I03 which fits tightly between the bottom of the form 15 and the bottom of the basket I00, but permits ready removal of the latter when desired. The ring I03 also assists in holding down the sleeve 40 when same is fully seated on the form,

The inner surface of the basket I00 is preferably covered with a cylindrical liner I05 of filter cloth for the purpose of catching and retaining all particles of filter cake which are dislodged from the sleeve 40 in the process of washing and drying same. In operation the basket I00 and its liner I05 act to perform a secondary filtering step in recovering fragments of filter cake dislodged from the sleeve 40 during the washing and been dried it may then be removed from the form, turned right side out and replaced on one of the 41-40 by means of upper and lower sleeve-forming bars H0 and III, respectively. Said bars have near .either end and projecting from their outer curved surfaces lugs II! which serve to engage and position the cloth between them. In setting up the cloth with respect to the rack, the upper bar H0 is first inserted and .the sleeve 40 allowed to hang from it. Then the lower bar III is inserted and stretched to separate the two bars and stretch the sleeve for the reception of .the inner rack 41, 40. The ends of the bar IIO may be conveniently suspended or restrained by brackets II5, .while the opposite bar III may be engaged by a suitable stretching bracket IIG, the hooked ends of which may be formed on a pivotally mounted whiffle-tree device III which is connected by a pivoted link I I8 to a stretching handle II9, the latter being pivotally mounted at I 20. Thus this device forms a con- 20' venient means of pre-forming the sleeve for introduction and removal of the tapered rack "-48. The latter will be introduced from the wider open end of the sleeve and seated to tightly stretch the sleeve by slightly forcing it tl'n'ereinto against the sides of the bars H0 and I The above-described construction also permits ready removal of the rack 4'I|8 from the sleeve after the filtering operation. Furthermore, in accordance with .the invention, the filter cake F is adapted by such means to be removed as an integral block from the filter sleeve 40. As shown in Fig. 13, the loaded filter sleeve 40 may be of the rack may be slightly beveled as indicated by the shape of the block F in Fig. 14.

The filter cake F lying on the tray I30 may be conveniently carried to and used in suitable drydrying thereof.. The centrifugal force applied during the washing and drying of the sleeve This feature of the invention is of particular value when the cake is the valuable element, as in the drug and dye industries.

Referring now .to Figs. 13 and 14, there is shown a modified form of rack for supporting and stretching the tapered sleeve 40 of filter cloth. This modification is useful both in the setting up of the cloth on the rack prior to introduction of same into the press, and also in the removal of the filter cake as an integral block from the sleeve after filtering operation. As embodied, the sleeve 40 is adapted to be first shaped and opened up for reception of the tapered rack charge them into drying pans where they maybe baked. The present invention makes it possible to eliminate many steps in the handling of r the cake and the pre-forming thereof into special shapes and containers for drying, baking and similar operations. Also it will be clear that the cake blocks F retain the exact consistency of the material as it comes from the filter press and its porosity and structural formation attained in the press is not disturbed thereafter.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I'claim is:

1. In the art of filtering fluids the steps of forcing raw fluid under pressure through a filtering medium in a filter-press toform a-cake medium while scraping the surface thereof to remove cake therefrom. a

2. In the art of filtering fluids the steps of forcing raw fluid under pressure through a filtering medium in a filter press to form a' cake thereon, removing the medium and its adherent cake from the press, dislodging adherent cake from the medium, washing the medium and then rotating it to dry it centrifugally.

3. In the art of filtering fluids the steps of forcing raw fluid under pressure through a filtering medium in a filter press to form ,a cake thereon, removing the medium and its adherent cake from the press, supporting the medium on a rotating support and scraping the adherent cake from the exposed surface thereof, rotating the support at a higher speed while passing washing fluid through the medium and then rotating the support at a still higher speed .to dry it centrifugally 4. In the art of filtering fluids the steps of forcing raw fluid under pressure through the inner surface of a sleeve-shaped filtering medium in a filter press to form a cake thereon, removing the medium and its adherent cake from the press, turning said sleeve-shaped medium inside out to expose adherent cake on the interior thereof, and rotating said inverted medium while scraping the surface thereof, washing it and drying it.

5. In a filter press a drainage plate for supporting a filter medium, said plate having a filter medium contacting and'drainage member comprising a plurality of vertically disposed relatively thin flat strips disposed with their flat parallel faces in contact, the edges of every other strip being vertical and arranged to lie in a common vertical p ne for supporting the filter medium and the upstanding edges of the intermediate strips being inclined downwardly'and away from said plane to provide drainage channels of increasing cross section downwardly of the plate.

6. In a filter-press drainage plate a plurality of flat strips having one longitudinal edge-"vertical and the opposite edge inclined to give the strip a generally trapezoidal outline, said strips being disposed with their flat parallel faces in contact and arranged alternately so that the vertical edge of every other strip lies in the same vertical plane for supporting a filter medium and the inclined edges of the intermediate strips slope downwardly and away from said plane, thereby to form two opposite filter-medium contacting vertical faces having drainage channels of increasing cross section downwardly.

7. In a filter-press drainage plate a plurality 0 at strips having one longitudinal edge vertical and the opposite edge inclined to give the strip a generally trapezoidal outline, said strips being arranged alternately so that the vertical edge of every other strip lies in the same vertical plane and the inclined edges of the intermediate strips slope downwardly and inwardly from said plane, thereby to form two opposite filter-cloth contacting vertical faces having drainage chainnels of increasingdepth downwardlyand a space near the bottom of the plate between the vertical faces where said drainage channels merge to form a relatively-capacious drainage space interiorly of the plate.

8. In a filter-press in combination a filter cloth formed as a continuous sleeve open at both ends, a rack for interiorly supporting the sleeve to hold same in filtering position between plates in a filter-press and means for presenting fluid to be filtered to the interior of the sleeve while same is supported on the rack, the sleeve tapering in interior cross sectionv from one end toward the other and the rack tapering conformably therewithin to permit ready insertion and withdrawal of the rack, means for holding the rack and sleeve between filter-drainage plates to eifect the filtration and means for sealing the escape of ,fiuid from about the periphery of the rack.

9. In the art of filtration the steps of forming a filter cake upon and against the surface of a filter cloth in a filter press, removing the cloth and the cake therewith from the press and then removing the cake as an integral block from the filter cloth. I

10. A filter press drainage plate, comprising a border having top, bottom and side members, a fluid inlet adjacent the top of the plate, means extending between said top and bottom border members, forming filtrate drainage channels which increase in cross-sectional area from the top toward the bottom of the drainage plate, said channel forming means also serving to support a filter medium, and drainage means in the bottom portion of the plate, on the drainage side of the filter medium, in communication with said drainage filtrate channels, for receiving filtrate therefrom.

11. A fllterpress drainage plate, comprising a border having top, bottom and side members, a

the top toward the bottom of the drainage plate,

said channel-forming means serving also to support a filter medium, and drainage means in the bottom portion of the plate, on the drainage side of the filter medium, in communication with both sets of filtrate drainage channels, for receiving filtrate therefrom.

12. A filter press drainage plate, comprising a border having top, bottom and side members, a

fluid inlet adjacent the top of the plate, a plurality of downwardly tapered members extending between the top and bottom border members. in side by side relationship such as to form filtrate drainage enamels which increase in cross-sec- -tional area from the top to the bottom of the plate, said channel-forming members being separable and also providing support for a filter medium, and a common drainage means adjacent the bottom of the drainage plate in communication with the filtrate drainage channels-for receiving filtrate therefrom.

FRANCISLDELIBLE. I 

